You are here
Odds and Ends 

Brenda Song says she was told that she wasn’t ‘Asian enough’ for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

NewsEditor

BTW

Jon M. Chu wants everyone to know the rumors arent true.

On Twitter last night he refuted a claim from actress Brenda Song that the actress was told she wasnt Asian enough to audition for Chus blockbuster film, Crazy Rich Asians.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, Song said she never got to read for the filmwhich has two sequels in the works.

Their reasoning behind that, what they said was that my image was basically not Asian enough, in not so many words. It broke my heart, said the former Disney Channel star.

I said, This character is in her late to mid-20s, an Asian-American, and I cant even audition for it? Ive auditioned for Caucasian roles my entire career, but this specific role, youre not going to let me do it? Youre going to fault me for having worked my whole life? I was like, Where do I fit? she added.

Song said she learned a valuable lesson from the rejection.

I got myself together and said, Brenda, there is only one you, and you cant change who you are. You cant change your past, she said. I am so grateful for every job that Ive done. All I can do is continue to put good auditions out there, do the best that I canthats all I can ask for.

After seeing Songs comments, Chu, 40, said it sucks if anything of that nature was ever communicated and expressed love and respect for Song.

Would these words ever come out of my mouth? Nope makes no sense, he tweeted. I feel horrible she thinks this is the reason. The fact is I love Brenda Song and am a fan. I didnt need her to audition because I already knew who she was!

Related posts